Keaton PetersThe federal government is exploring opportunities to become the landlord for America’s artificial intelligence boom by co-locating data centers with energy infrastructure on public lands. In a Request for Information announced this month, the Department of Energy (DOE) identified 16 sites across the country primed for rapid data center construction, with existing energy infrastructure and streamlined permitting processes for new power generation.
This initiative follows recent executive orders on American AI leadership and energy production, with DOE seeking public-private partnerships that can accelerate both AI capabilities and energy infrastructure development. The strategy involves leveraging DOE’s extensive land holdings and the expertise of its National Laboratories system.
DOE is looking to enable construction of AI infrastructure at select sites to begin by the end of 2025, with operations expected to start by the end of 2027. The department anticipates authorizing land use rights through either a long-term ground lease or an easement for selected projects.
Artificial intelligence systems are demanding increasingly large computing resources and power consumption. At the same time, the U.S. is racing to maintain leadership in this transformative technology. The DOE’s approach intends to simultaneously address the immense energy requirements of AI systems while strategically positioning the country to lead in both energy innovation and computational capabilities.
In a statement, Energy Secretary Chris Wright compared the AI development race to the Manhattan Project.
“With today’s action, the Department of Energy is taking important steps to leverage our domestic resources to power the AI revolution, while continuing to deliver affordable, reliable and secure energy to the American people,” Wright said.
To advance the program, DOE has issued a Request for Information seeking input from data center developers, energy providers and the general public. The RFI specifically seeks feedback on industry interest in the locations, potential data center designs and operational models, power needs, financial considerations for leasing DOE land and potential benefits of collaboration, along with economic, environmental, and security considerations. Responses are due within 30 days of the RFI’s publication in the Federal Register.
The centerpiece of DOE’s strategy is the opportunity for industry partners to collaborate with the department’s renowned research facilities that are co-located at many of these sites. Several of the sites are strategically located near existing energy infrastructure, including nuclear facilities, hydroelectric power, or high-capacity transmission lines. This positioning offers potential data center operators immediate access to reliable power sources while providing pathways for developing new energy generation capabilities.
While DOE hasn’t specified which sites are under consideration, the RFI includes appendices containing publicly available information about each location, including geographical positioning, available acreage, and other relevant characteristics that would make them suitable for data center development.
Photo Courtesy
Christopher Bowns via Wikimedia Commons
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
